CP's strict stance cures 'sick' officers overnight

NAGPUR: Ten police inspectors on 'sick leave' resumed duty within a day of the city police chief taking action against four officials for taking sick leave on flimsy grounds. The top cop had suspended two inspectors and two sub inspectors.
Police commissioner Ankush Dhanvijay is the first to crack down on senior officials going on sick leave without genuine reasons, and ignoring messages from the department.Department sources said that this trend of taking indefinite and frequent leave is seen most among officials from Western Maharashtra.
Dhanvijay said he had been surprised to see over a dozen police inspectors on sick leave. "I wonder how these officers were cured within a day after action was initiated against four of them. There are a couple of genuine cases, which is understandable, but we are verifying them too. I had nearly suspended all these officer, but the formalities were yet to be completed," said Dhanvijay. He added, "The department had been suffering since such officers were shirking responsibilities."
Sources in city police said officers from western Maharashtra often cite cultural differences as a hurdle in working in Vidarbha. They say that the approach to work is different here as compared to western Maharashtra, where they are more comfortable. "There is a marked attitudinal difference in the people of the two regions of Maharashtra," said an official. "Often, people from two different cultural backgrounds fail to get along," he said.
A senior police officer also said that officials from western Maharashtra are often shunted to Vidarbha as a punishment. Those officers start lobbying to return to their favourite places of work immediately after they join here, said officers. "Most officials go on sick leave to make the rounds at the Mantralaya, meeting bureaucrats and politicians," said officials.
Family issues and children's education also keeps some officials from other cities distracted even after they join here on transfer. "It is not easy for all officials to shift family bases. Growing up children and their careers keep officers engaged. They have to travel to-and-fro from other cities. It is not always possible to get leaves sanctioned every time. They opt for the easier way of reporting sick and leaving for Mumbai or Pune or Thane," said an official.
"Some officers eagerly wait for court summons, in cases they had investigated in their native places, so that they can meet their families on the pretext of appearing before the court," said an officer. He added, "It is actually homesickness, but officials report sick for leave."
"Some officials also complain of the extreme heat in Vidarbha. They feign illness to get away from the weather and food here," said another official.